Today you get the BAD.
The day at Six Flags started at 10:45 for us and honestly went very well
all day....there was minimal whining and the day went pretty smoothly
considering the non-stop action, no nap, and the increasing heat. It got
to be around 5:15 and everyone was winding down.....Jake wanted to go on
the Log Flume for the hundredth time and since there was no line we agreed
that Dave would take him one more time and then we would leave. I took
Olivia into a gift shop to cool off while we waited. This was the
beginning of the END. Cue ominous music now.
My "angel" turned into the devil right before my eyes.....it started off
slowly, a request for this dolly here, and my response of no there....I
was already carrying four stuffed animals, 1 tweety-bird flower and two
super-hero capes that they had won playing the carnival games earlier in
the day all while pushing an empty stroller. The she-devil was getting
louder in her persistent demands for more as I became firmer and less
patient, but wait! My eyes spied something pink! and Free! and Hello
Kitty! and Free! and it was a bag!!! Perfect!
I grabbed one and started putting all of the previously won loot in it and
all hell broke loose. In the middle of the store. Apparently SHE didn't
want a free pink Hello Kitty bag. Kicking and screaming ensued. A lady
walked past me and all she could say to me was "Giiirllll." Me: "I know,
it's the end of the day, what was I thinking bringing her into the gift
shop right?" She says, "Good luck."
I drag Olivia out with all the animals in the bag, which is hung on the
stroller, pulling that behind me, all the while she is kicking, screaming
and yelling that she doesn't want that bag, take it back, hitting me, etc.
Needless to say I am mortified. I try to calm her down outside and tell
her to get in the stroller or she is going to go into timeout. She
refuses, throws her flower hits me again. I then put her into time out on
the bench. The entire area outside is now totally cleared out. I have to
sit her down over and over and over before she stays put. I wish I had a
sign that says she was an angel for 6 hours, she is 3 years old and has
not had a nap. Dave and Jake show up in the middle and I signal for them
to keep walking... finally when she is done with time out, she gets in her
stroller and we head out the gates....and she realizes that we are leaving
and it all starts again. She screams over and over and over "I don't want
to leave." Until we are halfway home and stops mid-sentence I don't want.
and I look back and she is sound asleep. Then I could breath again with a
sigh of relief.
Unfortunately this started a not so lovely trend for the rest of the week.
Jake became a teenager and suddenly started back talking and sassing us,
which really threw us, since he really enjoys being the "good one."
Olivia continued to throw at least one hardcore hour + long temper tantrum
a day and several minor ones throughout which really left us emotionally
and physically drained.
By Wednesday, I had a total breakdown. I felt like we couldn't handle
being together all day as a family. I wasn't having fun anymore and
honestly just wanted to go back to work and get back to the normal
routine. Dave and I re-adjusted our attitudes, dug our heels in, and went
back to it, determined to have fun.
We were able to curb Jake's defiance a bit, but Olivia continued with her
ways, which did limit a few more things that we wanted to do. Friday, once again
we decided to stay home and just go the the pool.
Olivia, decided that she wanted something that Jake had and hit him in an attempt to get it. I promptly took action, and put her in time-out by the side of the pool. She wasn't having any part of it and tried to get back in and smacked me me. I picked her up and took completely away from the pool and set her down at the table. Full on tantrum ensued. She was out of the pool for close to 20 minutes. By the time she was able to get back in and she apologized (unprompted) to everyone involved, she only had 10 minutes left to swim. She woke up from her nap in a great mood and I was so relieved. The rest of the evening was fabulous. My Sil and I took the kids to get ice cream and it was great. Bed time went smoothly until I gave the final kiss and hug and walked out of her room. MOMMY. GET BACK IN HERE RIGHT NOW AND CUDDLE WITH ME. MOMMY. RIGHT NOW. YOU. CUDDLE. WITH ME. RIGHT. NOW.
Um, gee. with an invitation like that how could I refuse? very easily.....You do not speak to me like that young lady. I will not be cuddling with you, since you asked so rudely. If you had asked nicely with some manners I probably would have. Now it is bedtime and you need to go to sleep. Good night. I love you. Ensue screaming of the same words above for the next 10-15 minutes. My SIL heard none of it since she was downstairs in the basement getting ready for bed and when she came up to say goodnight, Olivia was already done. "Aunt B? Will you please cuddle with me? I like to hold my mommy's thumb when I cuddle with her." B said she was out in like 5 seconds. sigh.
By the end of the week, even Jake was tired of her antics.
He now requests that bedtime/storytime be private time away from Olivia, and has posted this sign on his door....I can't say I blame him.
**I of course don't count as part of the No Girls Allowed**
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27 comments:
OMG. I am having a slight panic attack right now about my dreams of three kids.
Maybe 2 now.
Just kidding, I know kids are kids and do this. You are brave souls!!
Oy. Just remember, they do eventually grow out of this. But then they become teens and don't speak to you at all, and ignore you in public. *sigh*
Mothers are not girls - they are moms!
They will grow out of this stage and will one day appreciate their sibbling relationship.
Hang in there.
The thing to remember is that kids will totally go nuts, despite your best efforts, at some point. Even adults do this! (present company naturally exempted).
If you just have two kids, they will eventually turn on each other. That's the worst. Otherwise, one of the kids will attempt to show off how "good" they are by comparison!
I think if you had three kids, it is less likely they would ALL get into it at once...but as I only have two kids, this is only theory!
It's also hard to remember that anyone else in public that has had kids will have gone through the tantrums, too, and will understand the position you are in. So, don't be embarrassed!
Oh man. It can be so rough sometimes. But you are doing the right thing, digging your heels in. Good for you!
Hang in there!
Oh man! I can see why you were ready to go back to work midway through your vacation! Like someone else said, they eventually will grow out of it. Just keep telling yourself that over and over to help you cope, ok? Yeah, I know - easier said than done. I like Jake's sign. Too funny!
Sometimes I want to go back to work after only one weekend day!
You weathered the storm and overall, it sounds like a fabulous vacation - the good, the bad and the ugly. Years from now, all you'll remember is the good.
And now back to your regularly scheduled program!
It STILL happens when they are 3. DAMN, I was hoping Pyper would be over her fits by 3.
We are in the same boat..the child can turn it on in an instant. Public, home, store - she does not care. Oy, the screaming, the whinning.
Jake was cute. Nice sign.
take the good w/ the bad. It still sounds like a nice vacation.
Welcome back!!
Oh my dear. Isn't that typical? The more fun you want to have, the less chance there is of that fun actually happening.
And of course you don't count! You're a mom, not a silly GIRL!
Good for you for sticking to your guns! My biggest pet peeve is parents who give in to their kids in order to avoid a tantrum! I know it's hard, but good parenting isn't easy! GOOOOO MOM!
Oh, gosh honey, I sure feel for ya! I too have the 3 year old girl who can suddenly turn into the shrieky, tantrum monster. What happened to my sweet girl? And my sweetheart eldest is now a teenager with all the attitude and backtalk involved.
I will remember to say a prayer for you when mine are misbehaving, we are definitely not alone.
I sure hope the good of the week out-weighed the bad, sounds like you guys gave a wonderful gift to your kids this week.
OH MA GAWD. I thought my 2 year old was scary. Its official I'm not going to survive age 3.
Glad I found your blog!
Amen! Yes, I've been there and somedays I'm still there. I am more than ready for summer to come to an end so that we can go back to our normal daily routine. Not that it is always that bad, but after a 2 months of kids and 'fun' I've had my fill. Good thing they're my kids or I would have given them back to which they came already! :)
~K
You gave me flashbacks of myself, crying in the Rainforest Cafe at Disney World.
I swear, the more we do for kids, the worse they act sometimes!
This too shall pass...(and turn into some different wonderful thing...ha ha)
Oy. I hate days like this. I can only imagine how trying this was being away on vacay.
Glad you stuck to your guns and made it through.
Guess this is why we often want the usual "vacation from your vacation"
Thank god! I thought it was just Gannon but I guess they all turn into Cybil at the age of three! Now you need a vacation ☺
" I felt like we couldn't handle
being together all day as a family."
I feel this way every weekend! It's so hard to do anything together without breakdowns (from all of us.)
I'm sorry the vacation kinda sucked. I really don't think that it's possible to truly have a vacation once you have kids. If they come, too...well they act like jerks. If you go away alone, they act like jerks when you get back.
Vacations are a lose-lose situation.
I remember how horrible it was when Mikaela was about to turn 3, and Parker was on the way. She was terrible. I had a peditrician tell me 3 was WAY worse than 2, and he said he's never been able to figure out where the term "terrible twos" came from, because 3 is so much worse. Anyway, it hit me like a ton of bricks, when Mikaela hit that 3 yo bratty stage, what in the hell was I doing having another baby?!?!? If she had hit that stage before I was pregnant with Parker, she would be an only child! :-) Luckily, they do indeed grow out of it. Then it gets worse - the pre-teen crap! :-) She's over that now, and I know I have the teen crap still to face.
Yikes and double yowzers. Well you guys survived, that's all the counts.
Thanks for the scare. Heh.
Audrey is getting awful with the temper tantrums- just as you described- throwing herself on the floor, kicking, hitting, screaming. I've been crossing my fingers that this is just the terrible twos. Dammnit. I lost hope.
http://capturingalife.wordpress.com/
Giiirrrlll - I totally feel for you and you know i've been there!
Yep, Monkey loses his mind every now and again like that. Usually it is because he is tired and overstimulated. But it wears you out, doesn't it? I think consistency is the key, and you did the right thing.
I can assure you that every parent in Six Flags has had one of those moments. No sign needed! If I had been there, I'd have been giving you nothing but sympathy.
My kids are at the age where they're starting to fight. Lots of slamming doors and tears. I can't wait until they're teenagers.
G'day from Australia, from a Dad of three ....
I came here via Kathryn's blog.
A hundredth ride on the Log Flume? Yeah, par for the course.
Isn't it? !!!!!
I have four and know this very well... vacations when you are out of the normal routine can be tough.
My kids were always more difficult at three than two!!
This too shall pass!!
Take that and times it by four. I have some days where I just want to run away. I know it doesn't feel like it but you are doing a great job. This will pay off later. A 3 year old having a temper tantrum in public is way more acceptable than a 6 year old having one.
Slackermommy....I agree. A three old having one IS more acceptable than a six year old. Too bad Jake had one in public at adventure club (summer camp with the school district) and it took us ~15 minutes to leave and another 30 minutes for him to calm down. He earned 6 X's on his board that one.
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